BMW Group DesignworksUSA: "Elegance and Style fused with Function" in the 2009 Dassault Falcon 7X cabin

Geneva, May 14, 2009... BMW Group DesignworksUSA and Dassault Aviation announced their latest successful collaboration, the interior cabin of the new Falcon 7X business jet. The Falcon 7X with the new interior by DesignworksUSA made its global debut at EBACE 2009, in Geneva on May 11, 2009. EBACE is the flagship forum for the European business aviation community to find products and services from the world’s top vendors. DesignworksUSA, a global design consultancy and subsidiary of BMW Group, was approached by Dassault recognizing their deep knowledge of premium transportation and the ability to create designs consistent with individual brands, as exemplified by BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

“We have been very pleased with our decision to collaborate with DesignworksUSA,” said Dassault Aviation’s John Rosanvallon, President and CEO of Dassault Falcon. “Thanks to DesignworksUSA’s transportation design expertise and hard work, the new Falcon 7X interior cabin reflects our goal to define a new level of flying experience.”

The Falcon 7X interior feels familiar and classic, yet modern and elegant, an experience that was achieved by designing a cabin that is clean, calm, and crafted. The design combines a modern, non-ornamental appeal with timeless aspects of quality in the attention to detail and craftsmanship.

“To meet Dassault’s high goals, DesignworksUSA created the theme of “Elegance and Style fused with Function”, said Verena Kloos, BMW Group DesignworksUSA President, “Our concept focuses on the sensory elements of the flying experience emphasizing form follows feeling.”

Strategic, Vertically Integrated Design Process
Utilizing multi-faceted teams, DesignworksUSA’s Transportation Design Group brought branding, design ideation, color, materials, and finish, and 3D CAD development skills together. This ultimately created a vertically integrated design process that leveraged each group’s expertise to create an interior that embodies more than the individual efforts. The combination creates a strategically targeted and uniquely innovative interior design.

Innovation, Forms, Details and Lighting
The new Falcon 7X cabin introduces subtle curves throughout the interior. The single arc in the carpet visually stretches the cabin and connects the interior front to back, while the curved bulkheads visually expand the main cabin volume. Subtle curves in the galley and main cabin furniture create a graceful flow. Even the new, unique cabinetry latches feature a subtle curvature, emphasizing harmony and style.

The larger windows in the 7X bring more light into the cabin and the soft up-wash and down-wash ambient lighting as well as the distinctive “Lunule” lights in the valance panels create an airy spacious feel when sunlight fades. Upon entry to the aft lavatory, star lighting in the ceiling greets the passenger with a gentle and warm light and the backlit window panel gives a sense of openness and comfort.

Other smart details improve functionality, efficiency and ease of use. For example, the ergonomic controls of the new in-flight entertainment system (IFE) hide in the side ledge until needed and the tactile light and gasper controls in the valance panel allow easy and precise adjustment. A pull-out vanity in the aft VIP lavatory gives efficient and comfortable access to hygiene and personal care items.

Colors, Materials and Finishes
The colors, materials and finish program continues the “Clean, Calm and Crafted” theme with natural, honest, tactile, and warm colors and materials. The darker carpet and lower side walls ground the design while the lighter upper side walls, valance panels and ceiling emphasize a more open and spacious overall environment. The contrasting dark wood side ledge and bulkheads create spatial definition and rhythm, and the horizontal wood grain ads an element of modern freshness.

With this emphasis on the passenger Dassault is defining a new level of flying experience, uniting their aeronautical passion with a design that celebrates well-being, modern appeal, and timeless elegance, created by DesignworksUSA.

About BMW Group DesignworksUSA
BMW Group DesignworksUSA provides brand communications, strategy, research, design development, engineering, and parameters for finished product including modeling, color and materials to many of the world’s great brands. In addition to being the creative partner to BMW Group, which includes BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, additional DesignworksUSA clients include Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, Starbucks, Boeing Business Jets, Embraer, Pilatus, John Deere, Advanced Medical Optics and Bavaria Yachts. The company was founded in 1972 by Charles W. Pelly in Malibu, California, and acquired by BMW Group in 1995. Since 2004, President Verena C. Kloos has overseen DesignworksUSA’s strategy and operations, which now includes design studios in Los Angeles, Munich, and Singapore. With global resources and clients across a spectrum of forward-thinking industries, DesignworksUSA has an unparalleled understanding of consumers and the world of design that surrounds them, both today and many years into the future. www.designworksusa.com